Clock



Feb. 20, 1923.

W. A. HICKS cLocK F11fed May 1o, A1921 Fifi 1.

` NVENTOR E Mi/LM d. m@

@vwwa TTORNEY to turn with the sleeve.

Parental Feb. 20,1923.-

UNITED STATES Palin-:rrry OFFICE.

WILLIAM HICKS, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ctocx.

Application and my 1o, 1921. serial No. 468,311.

like` and its object is to 'simplify the clock mechanism. A further object is todrive t-he clock by the a'id ofr electricity, avoiding winding, but without loss or gain Adue to variations in strength of the electric current. Other objects will appear in the course of theensuing description.

I4 att-ain these objects b` the apparatus illustrated, for c xam'ple, in the accompanying drawing, in Whichy, F'gure 1 is a. front elevation of a clock embodying my invention,` part of the front and dial thereof being omitted .to reveal the interior mechanism` and the electrical connections being shown in diagram;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on ay plane corresponding to the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, buty showing the permanent magnet and its mount-ing in end elevation, the view being toward-the right in Fig. 1; and l Fig. 3 is a partial view corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing the parts of the mechay nism in diferent operating positions.

The clock casing 1, of any usual design, with the transparent closure 2 in front, has the dial 3 visible through this closure, with the usual markings thereon. The frame 4 for the clock mechanism or movement comprises, as here shown, the front standard 5, middle standard 6, and rear standard 7 all fixed to the base 8. which latter is fixed to the bottom 9 of the casing 1. The dial 3 may be fixed to the casing front 10, or to the front of the frame4, or to both parts as herein shown. Also` the frame 4 may be fixed to the bottom 9, or to the back 11 of the casing, or to both, as here shown.v These are details that may vary as they do in various kinds of clocks constructed and operated as heretofore.

v The minute hand 12 is Amounted in a usual manner on the front end part of the arbor 13, to yturn therewith; and the hour hand 14 is frictionally mounted .on the sleeve 15,

This sleeve surrounds the arbor 13 and is journaled in the upper end part of the front standard 5, eX- tending out of. the rear thereof and having fixed on a ma houpwheel 1e. The minut-,ehand arbor 13 ,extendsy out of the rear end on it the minute 'A wheel 17. Thus, these wheels and the respective hands are coaxial, much in the same clocks or watches. f

The balance wheel 18 is fixed ron aishaft 19 having a 'rear spindle 2O bearing in the upper part of the rear standard 7, with the wheel v18y close to this bearing part and a considerable distance back from the middle standard 6. inthe upper part of which the y 1 but are distinct therefrom and are not essentially so relatedto those arts.

On the front side of the mlddlel standard 6 the lever 24 has a fulcrum 25,l and the manner as with 'usual 'of the hour-hand sleeve'j 15, and has fixed upper end of this lever 24 carries a fork 26 f close to the front face of the disk 22 and so proportioned and related thereto that this fork 26 will receive the pin 23 between its members whe-n this pin is traveling through the lower half of its circle of movement, but will leave thepin 23 free of lthe fork in the upper half thereof. The upper4 ends ofthe fork members are slanted downward and inward to guidingly receive this pin on its entrance to the fork in either direction. The lower end part of the levell 24 carries the forwardly projected stud '27, on which is hung the pawl 28. shown` the fork26 is about twice as far up from the fulcrum 25 as the pawl 28 is down therefrom; so that the pawl moves about vhalf as far as the fork in a given oscillation of the lever 24.

`Both the hour wheel 16 and the minute wheel 17 have ratchetteeth entirely around their respective `peripheries; and the pawl 28 lies across both peripheries. But the hour wheel 16 is of a diameter such that when the pawl 28 engages on any one of a majority of the teeth in the minute wheel 17 it is prevented from entering any notch of the hour wheel; and one-twelfth of the notches between the minute-wheel teeth, at uniform intervals therearound, are made deep enough for the 1pawl to enter an adjacent notch between our-wheel teeth. As

preferred, each wheel has one hundred and eighty teeth, all of the same depth on the hour wheel, but every fifteenth tooth 29 on the minute wheel having the adjacent notch deepened as just noted. The pawl 28 has a counter-weight 30 holding the pawl against the minute wheel teeth at all times, and causing it to readily force its way into the deeper notches and-against the hour-wheel tooth, whenever such a deeper notch reaches the pawli. 1t will be seen, therefore, that in eleven out of twelve oscillations of the lever 24, the pawl can move only the minute wheel 17; but in every twelfth oscillation it can move both w'heels 16 and 17. Thus the hour wheel 16 and hour hand 14 are turned onetwelfth as fast as the minute wheel 17 and minute hand 12, by a regularly repeated oscillation of the liever 24. Clicks 31 a-nd 32 bear lightly on the teeth of the wheels 16 and 17, respectively, to prevent their backward movement; although these may be dispensed with, and the mere inertia or friction in the bearings of these wheels relied upon for this purpose. Also, as here shown, the lever 24 is hung slightly to the right of the vertical line -through the center of the disk 22, so that the pawl assumes its advanced position by gravity, and is so held therein while 4the p-in 23 is out of the fork 26; the lever and pawll being held back at the other end of the oscillation, while the p-in is out of the fork, by engagement of the pawl with the ratchet wheel. This makes the clicks desirable, as `affording a certain stoppage of the wheels, pawl and lever at this stage of the operation.

The frame 4 comprises a left-hand extension 33 near its bottom, from the middle standard 6 to the rear standard 7, under the balance wheel 18, and having a lug 34 upstanding just in front of this wheel 18, and an upstanding lug 35 at the front, about even with the middle standard 6 (Fig. 2). Also, slightly more than half-way back from the flange 35 to the lug 34 this extension has a plate 36 upright thereon.

A fiat spring 37 has its lower end part fixed to the top of the extension 33 under the plate 36, where the latter joins this extension; and this spring 37 extends to the right-hand part of the clock casing, then curves upward and to the left, and has its upper end part some distance up, under the shaft 19. This part has fixed on its top a clip with an eccentric pin 38 mounted from front to rear therein, and held against rotation therein by a binding nut 39. The lower end of a thin fiexible cord or cable is fixed in 'this eccentric p-in 38; and the upper end of this cord 40 is fixed in the shaft 19. Preferably these cord ends are fixed by passage through holes in the respective p-in or shaft, and a knot in the projecting end part of the cord; the edges of the holes being rounded to avoid. cutting the cord. The eccentric pin 38 is for adjusting the length of the cord connection with the Shaft 19, by winding more or less of the cord on the pin 38 while the nut 39 is loosened, after which the nut is made tight. Close to the attachment of the lower end of the spring 37 to the extension 33, an adjusting nut 41 has a neck up "through the spring with a colla-r 42 thereabove; and this nut screws up or down on a stud 43 fixed in the bottom 9 of the casing. Thus, screwing this nut up or down will raise. or lower the spring 37, as a whole; so that with a given length of cord connection with the shaft 19, this spring will have its tension decreased or increased. Shortening the cord connection will increase the tension; so that either adjustment, or both, may be used to vary the pulling effect of the spring on the cord 40.

A permanent magnet 44, of elongated horse-shoe shape, has its heel to the left, and its members straddling the upstanding plate 36, with the free ends or poles 45 upturned slightly, about vertically under the shaft 19 and the cord connection; and an armature 46 is fixed on the lower side of the upper endpart of the spring 37, facing down toward the poles 45. This magnet 44 has forwardly and' rearwardly extending trunnions 47 journaled in the lug 35 and lug 34, respectively, of the extension 33; and the latter has an adjusting screw 48 up through it under one member of the magnet, to be engaged by said member and limit the upward swinging of the pole end of the magnet to the desired degree. The heel ot' the magnet overbalances the pole end; so that the pole end is normally in its highest position as allo-wed by this screw 48. On this heel is mounted an armature 49. attracted by a temporary electro-magnet 50 fixed thereabove on the left-hand side of the clock casing (Fig. 1) with the axis of the magnet upright. When this electroanagnet is energized, it raises the heel and depresses the poles of the permanent magnet; but on cessation of current in its coils, it allo-ws the magnet 44 to drop back to normal position.

The upstanding plate 36 has on its front side horizontal guide lugs 51 and a guide pin 52. The switch-plate 53 has a horizontal slot receiving the pin 52, and a hori zontal shank 54 guided between the lugs 51. The right-hand end of this plate 53 has an upper part 55 inclined down to the left, and a lower hooked part 56 opposite to and about parallel therewith. The plate 36 also has a vertical slot 57 near this end ofthe switch-plate 53; and a link 58, pivoted to the free upper end part of the spring 37, depends therefrom, with a pin 59 extending forward through and guided in the slot 57 to engage with the inclined parts 55 and 56 of the plate 53, alternately. The

left-hand f end of the switch-plate 53 has fixed on it the resilient switch-blade 60, extending up and, bending tothe right;` and the top of the plate 36 has the contact piece 61 ixedron it, to be contacted by the blade 60 when the switch-plate is in its right-hand position, but disconnected therefrom, electrically,l when the plate is' in its left-hand` position. These electrically-connecting parts 60 and 61 are `suitably insulated from the other parts, as will be understood;` and they serve, when connected, to

complete a circuit through the electro-magnet and battery 62 by suitable conducltors 63, 64 and 65 as seenin the diagram in Fig. 1. It will'be understood that the battery'62, in the diagram, represents lany suitable source of electrical current, as a drybattery, storage-battery, dynamo or transformer system, yor any device to supply a low-voltage comparativelysmall current suf, ficient to supply the friction and inertia losses in the operation of the clock, as will now be described.

Operation: It has been noted that regular oscillation of the lever 24 will cause rotation of the hour and minute hands by means of the pawl and ratchet wheels; the hour hand being advanced one interval at every twelfth oscillation, and the minute hand advanced one interval at every oscillation, of the. lever 24. l

The spring 37, connected to the shaft 19, limits the shaft 19 and attached ybalance wheel 18 to oscillations, each having its terminations at they extremes of winding of v, the cord 40 on `the shaft 19 in opposite directions, and the amount of this winding, the speed-of oscillation, and, as a resultant of these two factors, the total time' of oscillation, depending upon the pull of the spring 37 against the momentum of the balance wheel 18, and the pull of the permanent magnet 44 to assist the spring, which, in turn, ywith a given magnet 44, will depend upon the degree of recession and approach of the upper end of the spring 37 from and to the magnet poles and'of the latter from and to the end of the spring. vAll ofthese factors once being fixed in their respective values, the shaft 19 will continue to oscillate at a constant rate. oscillation of the lever 24, the slight additional power to move both wheels and hands will slacken this oscillation during that movement; but in the aggregate, each o-f these overloads being the same,l the rate of operation will be constant. With the adjustments made in conjunction with observations of the rate of running, and comparisons with a correct time-piece, as in regulating any clock or watch, the clock will be adapted to measure and indicate correct time without winding. It is of course necessary At each twelfth to keep vthe battery or othercurrent up to such a strength as will move the permanent magnet each time, as-is required. v

Were this electricA current used directly, as by having the electro-magnet to assist the spring 37 directly, it rwould be necessary to have the strength of the electric current constant, which is impracticable; especially with such a source as al ldry-battery, for instance. The permanenty magnet will lattract .always with substantially the same strength, subject only to magnetic disturb-y ancesv in the earths field, or molecular changes, and` the like, which may be neglected for most practical purposes; especially as these tend to right themselves periodi-v cally.

mitted to withdraw the permanent magnet 44 from the spring 37 yduring any substantial part ofv the period of movement of the spring 37 up or dow,'the pull of the per'- m'anent magnet 44 would then be merely a `connection to the shaft v19 passes its lowest point; and I restore the magnet 44 to its raised position after the spring 37 has gone up away from the magnet 44 far. enough to lbe practically out of the influence of the magnet 44. Thus'. the spring does not receiveany impetus from the electro-magnetic action, to a material degree, on withdrawal;

.and it is not materially retarded in its upward movement, by electro-magnetic action,

Also, were the electro-magnet 50 when the magnet 44 is restored. Whatever slight retardation occurs then, is through the practically.constant permanent magnetism by the counterweight of the magnet heel, also a constant factor'.

The escape of the pin 23 from the fork 26 during one-half of each oscillation gives th-e effect of oscillating the lever 24 once and advancing either one or both hands, as the case may be. only one tooth space, for each two oscillations of the balance wheel 18. Thus, either excessive diameters for the ratchet wheels 16 and 17, or excessive {ineness of their teeth, is avoided; since the wheels need only half as many teeth for va given practical rate of balance-wheel oscillation. With one hundred and eighty teeth. the period of a complete balance-wheel oscillation. or about one complete revolution in each direction. will be twenty seconds; and this is obtainable with such motive and adjusting mechanism as is herein disclosed. The strength 'and tension of the spring 37 hour wheel 16.

should be s o adjusted relative to the mass ot' the balance-wheel, and the assisting action ot' the magnet 44 so adjusted, that the proper period of oscillation will be obtained with slightly less than a complete revolution in cach direction at each oscillation; although, since the cord 40 can wind more than once around the shaft 19 in either direction, the half-oscillation in either direction can be more than one revolution, should this he desirable or necessary.`

Supposing the parts as in llr ig. 1, the lever 24 has reached the left-hand end of its lower-end swing, completing a one-tooth advance; and the pin 23 is just leaving the fork 26 to begin its upper ine'ective travel.

It will go up about ninety degrees, where? upon the spring 37, supposing the parts adj usted Jr'or this, will overcome the momentum, the balance-wheel will reverse, and the pin 23 will then descend through this angle, again engaging in the fork 26. llt will now swing the lower end of the lever 24 to the right, until it has traveled throughout its lower half-circle of effective operation, leaving the fork 26 upwardly again, at the opposite side, and leaving the pawl 28 in mesh with a succeeding tooth of the minute wheel 17, as seen in Fig. 3. 1li' this tooth should be one of lthe deep ones, the pawl will also have engaged the coinciding tooth of the The pin 23 will now be carried up about ninety degrees on this side, to abdut its position in Fig. 3, without acting on the lever 24. Then reversal will occur again, the pin will come down through this angle, and will then engage in the fork 26 and swing the lower end of the lever 24 to the left, so that the pawl 28 will advance one or both wheels, as the case may be, one tooth space, during the swing of the pin 23 back through its lower half circle of'effective operation.

The permanent magnet 44 has its poles up, in Fig. 1; the switch-plate 53 being to the left and the circuit being broken. As the spring 37 reaches its lowest point and the cord 40 is traveling under the sha-ft 19, as seen in Fig. 3, the pin 59 engages the lower incline 56, pushing the switch-plate 53 to the right, closing the circuit and energizing the electro-magnet 50, which will quickly Withdraw the permanent magnet 44 to the position of Fig. 3, while the spring 37 is practically stationary. Then after the spring 37 has gone up some dista-nce, sulhcient to practically nullify the magnetic pull thereon by the upcoming magnet 44, the pin 59 engages the upper incline 55, again pushing the switch-plate to the left and breaking the circuit, upon which gravity restores the magnet 44 to its raised position. The assisting action of this magnet on the spring 37 occursl in the latter part of the descent of the spring 37, after its Laaaiea armature 46 is very close to the magnet poles 45 but before the magnet-withdrawing circuit closure is effected. .The just described operation 'will be repeated regularly; and the exact strength of the electric current, as affecting the quickness of withdrawal ot' the magnet 44 during the practically stationary condition of the spring 37 and cord 40, will be negligible, so long as the action is such as to effect this withdrawal well within the period of this condition. r1`he electro-magnetic action is so quick that even a large percentage of variation therein will be small relatively to the period referred to. For instance. with a twenty second period of oscillation, once each way, one second would be required for the cord 4() to pass through its lowest approximately thirty degrees of travel, wherein its effectiveness is very slight; but the loss in quickness of electro-magnetic action, down to any effective current strength, will be but an .extremely slight fraction of a second.

Modifications will occur under different conditions, or as may be desirable, and therefore ll do not wish to be understood as being limited to this specific disclosure, but what I claim is:

1. 1n combination with a movable time-indicating element, an oscillating element, a spring moving said oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indicating element, a permanent magnet, and means whereby said permanent magnet causes movement of said spring.

2. ln combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, a spring moving said oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indicating element, an electric-current source, a permanent magnet, and means whereby electric current from said source, acting through the medium of said permanent magnet, causes movement of said spring.

3. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indicating element during a part only of its oscillation, a permanent magnet, and means whereby said permanent magnet moves said oscillating element during a period substantialy coextensive with the period of movement of said time-indicating element by said oscillating element.

4. ln combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indicating element during a part only of its oscillation, an electriccurrent source, a permanent magnet, and means whereby electric current Vfrom said source,'acting through the medium of said permanent magnet, moves said oscillating element during a period substantially coeiitensive with the period of movement of said time-indicating element by said oscillating element.

5. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indicatin element, a spring alternately moved by and moving said oscillating element and having a periodof substantial rest, and comprising a magnetic part, a permanent magnet having amovement to and from a position in which it can appreciably attract said magnetic part, means having an action to move said permanent magnet from said position during said period of rest, means to return said permanent magnet to said position when said action is stopped, and means 'actuated by said spring for starting and stopping said action respectively during and after said period of rest.

6. In combination with a movable'timeindicating element, an oscillating element,r

means whereby said oscillating y element moves said time-indicating element, a spring alternately moved by and moving said oscillating element and having a period ofsubstantial rest, and comprising a v magnetic part, a permanent magnet swinging up and down from a position in which it can ap reciably attract said magnetic part, a weight to swing said permanent magnet up, an electromagnet to swing said permanent magnet down, anelectric-current source, ra switch closed or opened to complete or interrupt a circuit through said source and said electro-magnet, and means actuated by said spring to close and open said switch respectively during and after .said period of rest, whereby said permanent magnet is swung f down during said period of rest.

7. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, means whereby said yoscillating element moves said time-indicating element, aspring alternately moved by and moving said oscillating element and having a period of substantial rest, and comprising a magnetic part, a permanent magnet having a movement to and from a position in which, it can appreciably attract said magnetic part, an electro-magnet attracting said permanent magnet from said position during said period of rest, means to return said permanent magnet to said position when said attraction of said electro-magnet is stopped, an electriccurrent source, a switch closed or opened to complete or interrupt a circuit through said source and said electro-magnet, andmeans ac- 8. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, a permanent magnet, means whereby said permanent magnet causes movement of said element, and means for adjusting theposition of said permanent n'nagnet.

9. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, a spring moving f said oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indicating element, a permanent magnet, means whereby said permanent magnet causes movement of said spring, and means for adjusting the relation of said spring to said oscillating element.

10. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, ya spring moving said oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indicating element, a permanent magnet, means whereby said permanent magnet causes movement of said spring, means for adjusting the relation of said spring to said oscillating element, and means for adjusting the position of said permanent magnet.

l1. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, driving means having periods of substantial rest but driving said element between said periods, a permanent magnet, and means whereby said permanent magnet occupies a position to actuate said driving means but moves from said position during said periods of rest.

12. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, a spring, a connection between said spring and said oscillating element for moving said oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indicating element. a permanent magnet, means whereby said permanent magnet causes movement of said spring, and means for adjusting the effective length of said connection between said spring and said oscillating element.

13. In combination with amovable timeindicating element an oscillating element, a spring, a shaft turning with said oscillating element, a flexible connection to said spring, wound on said shaft for moving said oscillating element, means whereby said oscillating element moves said time-indieating element, a permanent magnet, means whereby said permanent magnet causes movement of said spring, and means on said spring for winding up part of said connection to vary the effective length thereof.

14. In combination with a movable timeindicating element, an oscillating element, engaging means eccentric on said oscillating element, a lever, avfork on said lever, receivin said engaging means during a part of t e oscillation of said oscillating element in each direction, but releasing said engaging means during the remainder of each oscillation in each direction, whereby said oscillating element oscillates said lever in both directions once during each two oscillations of said oscillating element in both directions., means whereby said lever moves said time-indicating element, a permanent magnet. and means whereby said permanent magnet causes movement ot' said oscillating element.

15. In combination with a movable timeindicating element an oscillatingl element, engaging means eccentric on said oscillating element. a lever, a fork on said lever, receiving said engaging means during a part of the oscillation of said oscillating element in each direction. but releasing said engaging means during the remainder of each oscillation in each direction, whereby said oscillating element. oscillates said lever in both directions once during each two voscillations of said oscillating element in both directions, means whereby said lever moves said timeindicating element, and means for causing oscillation of said oscillating element.

16. In combination with a movable time-' indicating element, a balance wheel, a shaft on said wheel, a support for said wheel and shaft, an elongated spring bent with a lower member and an upper member under said shaft and having the junction of said members at one side of said shaft, a support for said lower member, a connection from said upper member to said shaft whereby said spring has alternate periods of being flexed by said balance wheel and driving said balance wheel and a period of substantial rest between said alternate periods, a permanent magnet fulcrumed at once side of said shaft to tilt up and down, and having a pole between said spring members, said upper member comprising means whereby it is appreciably attracted by said pole when said magnet tilts said pole upward but not appreciably attracted thereby when said magnet tilts said pole downward. an electro-magnet beyond the fulcrum of said permanent magnet from said pole, tilting said pole downward when energized an electric-current source, a switch in circuit with said source and said electro-magnet, means connected with said spring to actuate said switch for energizing said electro-magnet soon after narrates 18. In combination with a movable time-` indicating element, a source of kinetic energy, a permanent magnet acted upon by said source to convert said kinetic energy into potential energy of its fie-ld, and mechanism for converting said potential energy into kinetic energy driving said time-indieating element, whereby said kinetic energy of said source may Vary but its variation is substantially nullied in its conversion through the substantially constant field strength of said permanent magnet.

19. In combination with an element to be moved at a substantially uniform rate, an energy source, means acted upon by said energy source to store the kinetic energy of said action potentially, and mechanism for converting said stored potential energy into kinetic energy driving said element, said mechanism having an intermittent operation whereby variations of the kinetic energy of said source are substantially nullified in the conversion of said energy into potential and then again into the ultimate kinetic driving energy.

20. In combination with an element to be driven at a substantially uniform rate, mech anism for imparting uniform intermittent motions to said element, with rest periods in the intermissions between driving periods, means to store energy potentially during the rest periods and apply said energy kinetically to said mechanismduring driving periods. and means to supply the ener to be stored, variation in rate of this supp y being substantially nullified inthe application to said mechanism by its passage through its potential condition during said rest periods.

WILLIAM A. HICKS. 

